Town officials are seeking permission from the Planning & Zoning Commission to install a LED message board at the corner of Farm Road and South Avenue.
The sports board at the corner of Farm Road and South Avenue on Oct. 22, 2023. Credit: Michael Dinan
Known to locals and passersby for a wooden fence where varsity sports and other school events are promoted on mounted posters and signs, the conspicuous corner would see a non-illuminated, black screen nearly 8 feet tall and 18 feet wide mounted in the ground, according to a sign permit application filed with P&Z by Public Works Director Tiger Mann.
“The Department of Public Works is requesting an 8-24 Review and Approval for the installation of a new LED Sign at the intersection of Farm Road and South Avenue to replace the existing wood fence and athletic event signage,” Mann said in an Oct. 11 memo to Town Planner Sarah Carey—a request for a state-mandated P&Z referral that forms part of the town’s application. “The sign will be used by the NC High School to promote sporting and cultural events at the High School as well as for emergency usage and notifications of various civic events by our Emergency Services Departments and the Department of Public Works.”
First Selectman Kevin Moynihan and his Administrative Officer Tucker Murphy are copied on the memo.
Renderings included in the application show four different versions of a more formal corner, with new ramps and a small stone terrace area in front of the screen, itself enclosed and mounted atop what appears to be a low stone wall. The four versions appear to place the pedestrian crossing signal in different places and feature ramps of different widths. They also appear to show screens of different sizes.
The wooded parcel that runs south from the corner of Farm and South, behind New Canaan High School, is a town-owned property that most locals view as part of Waveny (some fussy types point to land records by way of disagreeing, though the parcel is in the Waveny Zone, established by the New Canaan Zoning Regulations).
P&Z is expected to take up the sign application and request for 8-24 referral at its regular meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Sign of the times, unfortunately. The current signage has served us well and would hate to see it go.
Ugh. No.
Agree.
Is this a high school in a small New England town or the entrance to an SEC school? What is next… bad idea
Maybe Public Works should spend their budget on fixing the horrific roads in town rather than promoting NCHS athletics?
It won’t be long before the proposed electronic message board sells advertising, competing with media like newcanaanite. The signs that are there now are simple, free and charming. Replacing them is an awful idea.
Agree with Alfred. Bad idea.
Barf.
I love you.
What an horrid proposal. New Canaan is not Times Square. I hope the Commission will reject this proposal for a tacky blazing sign that sears retinas and destroys our bucolic lane. The town beautification committee is hard at work planning tree installations along South Avenue. This proposal would blight their hard work and destroy the pastoral scenic utopia that is South Avenue and Waveny woods.
Benefits: the sign would be much more readable (and safer) for motorists, improving the publicity of school events and eliminating rubber necking in a busy intersection, and would improve public safety by informing drivers (who shouldn’t be on their phones) of emergencies such as nearby road closures, approaching storms, or other dangers. Guidelines could be enforced by the police and the school administration, prohibiting advertising.
Agreed!
So many questions come to mind:
1) Will each team and organization still be able to post their events in the style and colors that represent their individuality?
2) Will all events be visible at the sametime?
3) Will traffic actually pause more to see the event they are looking for scroll into place?
4) Will a town or school employee now have to dedicate a portion of their time inputting information?
5) Will there be proprietary software packages the town or school will have to subscribe to to design and upload events?
6) Will there be an annual service contract from the sign company for maintenance and equipment upgrades?
7) How long will this technology be viable?
8) How long will the system be down and how expensive is it to replace the screen if vandalized
9) Will school groups be wanting to use the new plaza to showcase their upcoming events?
10) How does this fit in with our POCD?
11) The structure will be quite elaborate and visible; how will the materials be chosen to reflect the style of our village?
12) Are we to assume building materials will not be artificial brick and stone, that will weather nicely?
12) Yada Yada
All important questions. Additionally, as described above, this would require the town to appoint a First Amendment arbiter to govern access to the new public billboard. That is going to be an expensive headache. It also opens the door to additional Las Vegasesque lighted signs elsewhere.
All valid questions!
I’ll add an uptick in distracted driving at a very busy intersection if drivers pause to read messages instead of focusing on traffic.
Bad idea.
No offense to Tiger, he does great work for our town, but this is just not a good idea – unattractive and a distraction to drivers.
Drivers should be focused on traffic and pedestrians at that intersection, not on screens (their own or the town’s). Will messages cycle? Will drivers sit at green lights or run red lights as they read?
Also seems like it will foster exclusivity. Currently, anyone with poster board can post. With the new sign, what’s the process to post? Who decides which notices are posted?
I’m not opposed to the LED message board. In my opinion, the mishmash of homemade signage has never been very legible or visually pleasing. I’m interested in learning more about the proposal. The public safety aspect of this electronic message board is definitely appealing in amplifying urgent matters & emergency notifications.
If it dose get built – better put a camera up – teens from Darien will most likely put a bat to it I bet – its happened to the fence that is there now allready before in years past
Most unattractive at an important intersection. Could force drivers who object (like me) to exit Merritt at Route 123 and avoid South Ave entirely.
There should be a pool to guess how long it will be before someone hacks into the software to post an inappropriate message. The proceeds might pay for the sign.
I have never read anything on that signboard. It’s pointless because all events get emailed or posted to whoever it concerns. We live in a digital age and the signboard (paper or digital) is just pointless.
I don’t know the right answer regarding the signage, but I definitely think the current scenario can be very dangerous to each varsity team’s dedicated group of parents who are responsible for physically changing the signage for every game. There is no good place to park, parents often end up in the grass or on the curb to get to the signs, and it’s just generally a dangerous place to be hanging out during busy traffic periods. As a former captain’s parent, this was a pretty stressful part of the role! I would like to find a way to remove this imminent safety concern. If not an electronic board, maybe a designated parking spot close to the board for the parents that show up 10-15 times/season to change the darn signs!
Can’t you park in the side parking lot (where the busses go in and out) and walk up behind the sign to change posts?
In addition to the comments already listed, how much is this going to cost (not only to purchase and install but also maintain and repair)? I certainly hope there will be further discussion.
Please NO! This is a complete eyesore. And who gets to decide what goes up on the board? One message at a time as opposed to now when passersby can see all the teams represented by NCHS in each season?
Someone wants to put up a sign for ALL new canaan events (athletic, cultural, civic and Emegency?).
Add it to the library, leave farm and south alone.
Tiger, why your idea to make something nice out of what is already a eye sore, is admiralable. I suggest you take down that crappy old fence, plant a tree and move on. This is another waste of town, time and money. What a lousy place for a sign of any kind.
The current signage is updated with love, in any weather, by parents involved in athletics & such. And, it looks fine. It looks frugal, and I support that. I propose we get the beautification league involved & look to plant hearty perennials that all the drivers could gaze upon, take a deep breath and have a moment to pause & contemplate, rather than a blipping screen that might cause traffic accidents, rubbernecking, and real anxiety about what we all might be missing out on!
From the DPW:
“The proposed signage installation at the Farm and South intersection is a long-awaited project from parents and the All Sports Booster Club.
“Given that the proposed sign sits on Town Land and that some of the work is also in the Town Right of Way (Farm Road) and the State Right of Way (South Ave/Rte. 124) it naturally falls to the DPW to manage the project. We are tasked with ensuring all permits (DPW Encroachment Permit)(DOT Encroachment Permit)(Building Permit) and permissions (8-24 Approval and Sign Site Plan Approval from P&Z), final project approval from the BOE and contract approvals from the Board of Selectmen are received. And then manage the project to ensure it is installed correctly and cost-effectively.
“All costs associated with the design, procurement and installation of the sign will be borne by donations from various residents and organizations in the Town.
“The sign and its contents will be maintained and managed by the BOE or its designee.
“The first step in any project is an 8-24 Review from P&Z to determine whether the project is in conformance with our POCD (per State Statute.) It made sense to also have P&Z Review the required Sign Site Plan Approval at the same meeting, hence the applications before them at present. Both these approvals solicit and involve community comment and we welcome the same.
“We thank you for your comments and suggestions.”
No signage needed. Drivers should keep eyes on the road (esp all the many teen drivers at that intersection). All of the sports schedules are readily available online. Let’s add some nice plantings instead. Thank you!